Diesel

Goodness, gracious. Don’t say we didn’t tell you earlier. As of right now, 2,297 Mercedes-Benz diesel models have been recalled because of a potential fuel leak problem. These specific models are the 2011 E-Class, GL-Class, R-Class and M-Class rangers. Apparently, there’s an o-ring somewhere in the fuel system that wasn’t installed correctly during production. Mercedes-Benz did the right thing by informing the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (a.k.a. NHTSA) that they failed to lubricate the said o-ring before installing it into the fuel system of these models. This brings about high risk of fuel leaking from the system, specifically the fuel filter. NHTSA officials are actually more worried about… Continue Reading »

The race for efficiency has every auto maker caught by the neck, and Mercedes-Benz is no exception. In its bid to keep up with the eco revolution, Daimler’s breadwinner has just announced plans for bringing into the US the European S350. It’ll pack a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 diesel that’s capable of 241 hp and 429 lb-ft of torque, a bit raunchier than its 235 hp and 398 ft-lb European version. It’ll be the only diesel S-Class to be sold in the US, so hopefully it’ll gain some unique appeal amidst its gasoline-powered sisters. Wearing a BlueTec badge, the US version of the S350 will feature AdBlue urea injection technology to… Continue Reading »

Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) will re-enter the North American bus and coach engine business with the engines of Dietroit Diesel. “By offering Detroit Diesel engines to independent bus and coach manufacturers in the U.S., we want to further strengthen the leading position that Detroit Diesel has occupied in the North American commercial vehicle industry for the past 50 years,” said Martin Daum, President and CEO of DTNA.

Over past few years, we’ve heard at least a half dozen stories and reports on the possibility of bring the A and B-Class to the States. We’ve even seen spy shots of the B-Class in the desert, but nothing really happened. Mercedes execs are at it again. Stephen Cannon, Vice President of Marketing at Mercedes Benz USA, stated that they are currently deciding if they should offer the successors to the A and B-Class in the US, as they are seeing and feeling a trend towards smaller cars. A final decision has not yet been made, but it is said that if one is made shortly, models could start rolling… Continue Reading »

AutoWeek had the privilege of attending and test driving many of the vehicles at the Vermont gathering of the newest Mercedes-Benz Bluetec vehicles. They have gathered a interesting list of significant Mercedes-Benz diesel milestones. Here are some highlights. 1939 260D Introduced in February 1936, this was the world’s first diesel production passenger car. 1955 180D The 40-hp cars took first, second and third in the Mille Miglia’s diesel class (58.8 mph average). Continue reading

Every wondered what the whole fuss is about the so called ‘DiesOtto’ engine is and how it actually operates. This interview with Dr. Günter Karl will enlighten you on the technology behind the DiesOtto and what it actually can do.

The largest order of alternative-fuel and drive-train commercial vehicles to-date was placed with DTNA’s Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation today by UPS. The order, consisting of 200 hybrid electric vehicles and 300 compressed natural gas vehicles. These environmental friendly vehicles will be used by UPS for daily delivery operations across the United States and will function in alongside their current fleet of conventional diesel powertrain vehicles. The hybrid-electric power train, combined with a diesel engine and electric motor, drive the FCCC chassis to achieve an over 40% improvement in fuel economy and an over 90% reduction in emissions compared to baseline non-hybrid vehicles.